We have officially been here in VA for 1 month. So much has happened in that time, that it feels like we have been here for three months. Tim has been on leave this whole time, so we have been taking it easy on the desk work, and most of our homeschooling has been out and about. We counted up five Saturdays since we arrived: the first Saturday was our household goods arrival, the next one we visited The Corcoran Gallery for family day (this was our second visit there, actually), then the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Air and Space, and this week we went in on Friday for a visit to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Tim has been keeping up with his blog superbly. Most of the trips I mentioned have been journaled there, except for the BEP, they don't allow cameras of any kind, so there are no pictures to tell the story, and it was just a few days ago. So far it has worked out that we pick a museum or attraction for the upcoming Saturday, plan a week's worth of desk work, so easy since there are so many resources on the web, and finish out the week with the trip into the city. On weekends at the Metro station (about five miles from our townhouse) parking is free, and the fare is reduced by almost half. It is so much fun to go in the city on the train, the kids have a ball every time. Chas has his own fare card which he keeps up with and Simon uses mine (until he's 5 when he'll get his own). They aren't even afraid of the escalator, they just hop right on and go with the flow. They have nearly memorized the routes of the southern half of the blue and yellow lines. They keep up the pace all day, no matter how cold. (I am actually the biggest complainer when it comes to the cold. We have had two big snowfalls, by the way, and we are expecting more on Tuesday.) Usually when we get home Saturday afternoon, I'll put out a tray of snacks and the boys will write in their journal about what they saw and learned, Mia draws a picture which I'll narrate for her, and Tim usually formats the pictures from our camera and works on his blog. I have been lobbying for a slowdown, the monuments and museum will still be there in the Spring when it gets warmer. But, as Tim points out, so will the crowds.
We have joined a homeschool support group on the nearest military base, a small but active group. We all went bowling with them last Tuesday, some older boys invited Chas and Simon to play on their lane, they even waited for them to catch up by 4 or 5 frames. Chas bowled 104 and Simon was not far behind. Mia said she had fun but admitted she wasn't very good at it. They have many more trips and activities coming up.
Also keeping me busy is a sewing project - Tim is helping me and we mostly work on it at night after the munchkins go to bed. We are covering the old plaid sofa. I'll post before and after pictures when we gt to the 'after' part. Soon, probably this week. We are expecting our first house guests this week, Jo and Danny, then on the weekend, Nana and PopPop.
I hope you've been checking out Tim's blog to see what we have been up to. If not, grab a cup of coffee and settle in, there's a lot there to read and see - movies, too!
I want to close with this picture of the kids that I took Friday after our trip to the BEP. Aren't they precious? They really love each other, they thank God for each other when they pray, and despite our best efforts to move Mia to her own room, they still want to sleep in the same room. So Mia is at one end of Simon's bed and he is at the other, Chas is on the top bunk. It helps her sleep all night, so Tim and I are happy. The night before she made the move to their room, we found her crying up stairs in her bed, saying there was no one to talk to. Well, sister, you're supposed to be asleep! But I did feel bad for her, why should she be alone, after all? Everyone else in the house has someone to keep them company at night. I'll try to make my next blog about the children's progress in school etc.
1 comment:
Good point about Mia. Why should she sleep alone? Feeling secure is important for babies and young kids. It does seem odd for them to be all alone while parents get to sleep with their partner. In fact, we are one of the few cultures that makes a concerted effort to make their children sleep on their own.
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